At the end of the fourth month of Zhenguan’s ninth year, the Tang Western Sea Route Army achieved a great victory.
On Guiyou day, the Prince of Rencheng Li Daozong defeated the Tuyuhun’s main force at Mount Ku. Murong Fuyun burned the grasslands and fled into the Great Desert with his light cavalry guard. After deliberation among Tang generals, Commander-in-Chief Li Jing split the army into two routes. He led Xue Wanjun and Li Daliang along the northern route, achieving consecutive victories at Niuxin Mound, Redwater Spring, and Mount Mantou, beheading Tuyuhun princes and capturing vast herds to supply the army. When the victory dispatch was sent, the northern route army was pursuing Khagan Fuyun toward Lake Wuhai. Hou Junqi and Li Daozong took the southern route, engaging the main force led by Tuyuhun’s Prince Tianzhu, routing his forces and pursuing them into the uninhabited Broken Truth Valley.
When the victory dispatch reached the capital, it should have been cause for national celebration and general amnesty with festive wine, but due to the Emperor Emeritus’s passing and the court being in mourning, officials and commoners couldn’t show too much joy. Still, many people managed to copy the victory dispatch text, passing it around and gathering to discuss it excitedly in private.
That day when Li Yuanji had inadvertently eavesdropped on the ruler and minister’s discussion in the small hall, after the report arrived, the Emperor led everyone out to receive it and didn’t return. Much later, palace servants came to help Li Yuanji out, settling him in a small mourning hut outside the Taiji Hall to recover from his injuries—not living together with his brothers, but not far away either. Several brothers and nephews who were usually close to him, finding the mourning restrictions in the hall too uncomfortable, would sneak over to see him, and they brought him the Western Sea Route victory dispatch.
After reading the text several times, besides joining his brothers in praising General Yaoshi’s divine military leadership and the Great Tang army’s invincibility, Li Yuanji had nothing else to say. What could he say? He truly wished he was serving as a Three Guard commander in the Duke of Dai’s army, willing to die wrapped in horsehide, which would be far better than his current status as a criminal against family and state.
The suicidal impulse he had felt when first arriving at Taiji Hall to bid farewell to Emperor Emeritus had mostly subsided, leaving only the four words “submit to heaven’s will” in his heart. After lying in the small hut for several days, as his head injury improved and he could think more clearly, two eunuchs led him to a small chamber west of Taiji Hall.
The Emperor was sitting cross-legged on a bed waiting, wearing coarse hemp headwrap and mourning clothes, with a bamboo staff across his knees—the same mourning attire as Li Yuanji’s. Usually accustomed to seeing him looking sharp in his black gauze headdress and yellow imperial robes, this head-to-toe hemp-and-paper-like appearance was quite jarring.
Beyond the shabby clothes, exhaustion weighed heavily on the Emperor’s face, with increasingly obvious dark circles under his eyes. Observing mourning was extremely taxing—eating coarse grain, sleeping on grass mats, and wailing before the spirit tablet at fixed times daily. After the first few days, no one could squeeze out any more tears. Not to mention the summer decay of the corpse, with odors wafting from the coffin to the spirit hall, plus the many unwashed mourners crowded together day and night—better left unmentioned.
However, though tired and weary, the Emperor’s posture was relaxed, lounging against a circular waist-high armrest, head half-raised gazing absently outside the hall. During their last brotherly meeting at Xuanwu Gate tower, Li Yuanji had sensed the Emperor’s anxiety and irritability, exchanging cold words before coming to blows… Now he looked much calmer than then.
The Tuyuhun victory had clearly greatly relieved the Emperor’s anxiety, and as for the Emperor Emeritus’s passing… Although it would cause him some hardship in the short term, ultimately, it eliminated one variable. At least from now on, the Great Peace Palace wouldn’t stir up any more trouble.
What surprised Li Yuanji was that Crown Prince Li Chengqian was also attending behind his father. Grandsons wore lighter mourning for grandfathers—he stood with hands folded wearing hemmed hemp mourning robes, face solemn, eyes downcast in meditation.
After completing his greetings, seeing Li Yuanji staring at the Crown Prince, the Emperor kindly explained:
“Though the departed left edicts commanding me to continue managing state affairs, it still doesn’t align with filial duty. For twenty-seven days, I shall maintain mourning on grass and earth, with state affairs entrusted to the Crown Prince as regent. Only major military and state matters need be reported.”
This was the Emperor seeking a reputation for filial piety, focusing on mourning while temporarily having his son manage state affairs. Though not without precedent, Li Yuanji was still somewhat surprised. This measure showed the Emperor greatly valued and trusted his eldest son, but as far as he knew, Li Chengqian had recently repeatedly erred and defied his parents, earning harsh rebukes from the Emperor, and straining their father-son relationship.
It seemed that in major matters, father and son immediately set aside their grudges—after all, they were truly family…
“When news of the Emperor Emeritus’s death came, I wasn’t in the palace,” the Emperor’s tone was somewhat wistful. “Chengqian was in Lizheng Hall with his mother when they heard the mourning announcement. The Empress was overcome with shock and grief, and suddenly taken ill, causing chaos inside and out. At that time, the Crown Prince’s handling wasn’t bad, hmm…”
A flash of brightness quickly crossed Li Chengqian’s young face.
Even Li Yuanji knew that while the Emperor extremely doted on his younger children with the Empress, he had been strict with his eldest son since childhood, rarely showing approval. Giving such praise in person was already considered high commendation. Li Chengqian must have handled that chaotic situation very appropriately, satisfying both parents enough to decide to make him regent during the Emperor’s mourning seclusion.
“Fourteenth Brother, your actions at Great Peace Palace are unpardonable crimes,” the Emperor directly addressed the reason for summoning Li Yuanji. “Though the Eight Considerations speak of considering kinship and nobility, and I know you had no intention of rebellion, wishing to protect you, the matter is too significant to simply overlook. However, there is now an opportunity for you to earn merit despite your crimes, while also contributing to Great Tang’s management of the Western Regions.”
Li Yuanji suddenly raised his head, hardly believing his ears. Had his luck turned this good?
“Chengqian will explain the details to you,” the Emperor frowned slightly. “I leave you with one sentence: Think carefully about who you are, and cultivate blessings for your family and friends.”
With that, he rose and left, presumably returning to Taiji Hall to continue his performance of pure filial piety on grass and earth. Li Yuanji and Li Chengqian knelt to respectfully see him off, and before they could raise their heads, they heard the Emperor’s deliberately lowered voice calling from beyond the threshold:
“Is the horse ready?… Fool! Who told you to bring the frost-white steed? Afraid it’s not eye-catching enough?… Where’s the plain carriage outside…”
Both poor horse and plain carriage—where was he going? It didn’t sound like he was returning to the adjacent Taiji Hall… Li Yuanji vaguely felt that the Emperor had used summoning him for discussion as an excuse to escape from the spirit altar, dumping the real business on his son while using this pretext to sneak off somewhere.
He turned to glance at Li Chengqian, just catching the Crown Prince rolling his eyes skyward, wearing an expression of wanting to complain but not daring to speak. Uncle and nephew renewed their greetings and sat down, neither in the mood to count old grudges. Li Chengqian was too lazy to say more than necessary, and began directly:
“Regarding the great victory over Tuyuhun, Fourteenth Uncle surely knows the details, so I won’t repeat them. The imperial court was originally discussing marriage alliances with various Western Region states. Now with our heavenly army’s might, the various barbarians are terrified, and more and more come requesting marriage alliances. His Majesty and the Empress have discussed…”
“My Seventeenth Sister is young and frail, often ill—she cannot go abroad for a marriage alliance!” Li Yuanji interrupted the Crown Prince’s words, refusing outright.
“Pak!” Li Chengqian struck the bed, angry: “Have you no manners! Let me finish speaking!”
“Your servant is at fault.” Li Yuanji apologized with clasped hands. “But what I say is true. If His Majesty orders me to escort my sister to marry a barbarian, I would rather die than obey!”
Above his head, Li Chengqian snorted through his nose, his tone becoming provocative:
“You’d rather die than send your sister for a marriage alliance? What if I say we can keep Seventeenth Aunt in the capital, but require you to undertake a matter in compensation—would you be willing?”
“I’d face death without hesitation!” Li Yuanji answered immediately. After all, he was already a death row prisoner for conspiracy—what could make his situation worse?
“Very well. Then it’s settled.” Li Chengqian smiled coldly. “I’ll report to His Majesty that Fourteenth Uncle volunteers to personally go to Gaochang for the marriage alliance, and will take full responsibility for court deliberations, arguing to persuade the officials. After the Emperor Emeritus’s twenty-one days of mourning, I will convene the regular court officials for public debate on this edict. Fourteenth Uncle, you can start preparing.”